Is there a government by gunmen?
THEcommonest question for a primary 1 pupil like my lovely son Naetochukwu is to ask him “Why is government necessary.”
He will quickly tell you that government exists for security.
Government in the thinking of some scholars is important because the institutions of government ought to provide the parameters for everyday behaviour for citizens, protect them from outside interference, and often provide for their well- being and happiness,” ( www. ushistory. org).
The framers of the Nigeria’s extant constitution were clear about why a government exists, a reason why they stated in section 14( 2) ( b) that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
By and large, the aforementioned primary obligation of the Nigerian government tallies with both what my five year old son and the United states based scientists saw as the essence of government. I agree with both submissions.
A conversation on the theme of government in Nigeria is necessitated by the overwhelming evidence of violations of this sacred obligation of government and the resultant mass kidnappings and killings of Nigerians by series of gunmen who as it were have even began acting as if they are the defacto government in some parts of Nigeria. This is because these armed men are now subjecting the citizens to payments of ransom and protection fees even for them to access their farm lands to harvest their crops in the North of Nigeria which prides itself as the food basket of Nigeria.
The prevailing climate of fear and violence is not limited to Northern Nigeria but the rule by the gunmen is fast spreading to all parts of Nigeria.
Few days back, in Benin, Edo state, a commissioner of police was fatally shot by armed cultists who were engaged in supremacy battles.
The Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike has just announced curfew in about two local government area councils because of the persistent violent battles between all sorts of cult groups.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, imposed a 24- hour curfew on the Okoro- NuOdu flyover in Rumuokoro area of the Port Harcourt metropolis in the next two weeks, following rising cult clashes and violence. He cautioned that government would leave no stone unturned in dealing with anyone who breaches the peace and security in the state with cult activities and associated killings.
In a statewide broadcast, Wike explained that the decision to impose the Curfew was taken after the State Security Council meeting in Port Harcourt.
He explained that the Rivers State Government was disturbed over the recent upsurge of cult activities and related violence and killings in the Okoro- Nu- Odu flyover in Obiolakpor Council Area.
The governor stated that government had constantly warned misguided youths against engaging in cultism because of its anti- social effect on society.
“As part of measures to tackle the menace, government has imposed a 24- hour Curlew for two weeks on the area from the Saint Emmanuel Anglican Church, Rumuokoro to the Rumuodomaya Slaughter and daily market with effect from Monday, November 23, 2020 ( today).
He continued: “Consequently, no trading, human or vehicular movement is allowed within the restricted areas until further notice. Only staff and vehicles of Julius Berger Nigeria Limited are exempted from the curfew and restriction of movement so that construction work on the OkoroNuodu flyover is not stalled.
Mr. Wike directed security agencies to enforce compliance with the curfew arrest and prosecute any person, trader or vehicle that violates the restrictions.
His words: “We wish to warn that community leaders that allow cultism and related activities to thrive in their communities would be treated as collaborators to the crimes and will be dealt with accordingly. “We urge all citizens to be part of the efforts to curb cultism in the state by reporting any suspicious Cult activity, including gatherings and initiations in and re- around their neighboring- hoods to the security agencies for immediate action, “he said.
He disclosed that the state government would construct the seventh flyover in Port Harcourt to traverse Ikokwu to Azikiwe street and appealed to residents of Street Port Harcourt and Obio- and Obio- Akpor council areas to bear with the state government over the traffic challenges they might encounter due to the ongoing construction of the Oro- Abali and other flyovers.
In Lagos, there was a period this year that a cult group persistently kept hundreds of thousands of residents of some areas sleepless at night as they were going from house to house to kill, harm, destroy and loot even as the security forces are no where near the crime scenes.
Zamfara and Kastina States are notorious zones of armed bandits who practically crippled the pace of governance to an extent that the governors were forced to the negotiation table with these outlaws.
Some of these gunmen reportedly surrendered after being financially induced. However, as it is with outlaws, they are back to their familiar routines of kidnappings, pillaging, killing, destroying and collecting financial settlements even as the Central Bank of Nigeria is unable to trace some of these transactions and the Nigerian Communication Commission and the security force can not trace their communication whilst they negotiate for ransom.
Aside behaving like defacto government, these outlaws with big guns are acting in ways that suspicions ought to be raised regarding the involvement of some top people in government and the security forces. If their transactions can not be traced and they make uninterrupted telephone negotiations and successfully pick up these generous payments running into billions in a single year, thereby making crime a billion dollars business, there is need to investigate if there are government and security officials aiding and abetting these crimes.
Another issue that makes a very strong case of collusion is that no state ministry of Justice or the Federal Attorney General have successfully prosecuted these criminals, some of whom the Nigerian Police Force had paraded before the media.
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Some of gunmen reportedly surrendered after being financially induced.
However, as it is with outlaws, they are back to their familiar routines of kidnappings, pillaging, killing, destroying and collecting financial settlements even as the Central Bank of Nigeria is unable to trace some of these transactions and the Nigerian Communication Commission and the security force can not trace their communication whilst they negotiate for ransom.
Aside behaving like defacto government, these outlaws with big guns are acting in ways that suspicions ought to be raised regarding the involvement of some top people in government and the security forces.
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